Funding flaps

His continued leadership of the Energy Department, however, will mean confronting various funding flaps that have put the White House and Congress at odds.

ARPA-E is far from alone in that category. But it stands out as a favorite among many Republicans and Democrats, who praise its focus on funding the early-stage development of energy technologies that the private sector might consider too risky.

Battery storage, solar panels and carbon capture are just a few examples.

The Trump administration, however, put ARPA-E on the chopping block in the first budget it released last year. Permanent cuts never materialized, thanks to Congress’ intervention. The White House this year has tried again.

Congressional support

But Perry has become an increasingly vocal advocate for ARPA-E. And not a moment too soon for lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.

Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, the Republican who leads the Senate energy committee, on Tuesday described ARPA-E as a “program that undertakes innovative, pioneering work.” Washington Sen. Maria Cantwell, the panel’s top Democrat, said axing the program would kill “science, innovation and DOE jobs.”

Perry last week appeared in a video that played at a major ARPA-E summit in Washington. In it, he touted the “power of innovation that’s on display,” describing the event as a “window into our future and the product of some of the very best and brightest in America.”

“ARPA-E," he said, "is one of the reasons DOE has had and is having such a profound impact on American lives.”